geronimi



(No Model.) z'sheets-sheet 1.

G. GBRONIMI & G. VENINI. CRBMATION PURNAGB.

110.361,40?. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. GERONIMI 8v G. VENINI. v GBEMATION PURNAGE. N0. 361,407.

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` Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

@gm-wm UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

` GIUSEPPE GERONIMI AND GIUSEPPE VENINI, F MILAN, ITALY.

SPECIFICATION' forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 361,407, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed January 19, 1886. Serial No. 189,099. (No model.) l

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that We, GIUSEPPE GERONIMI and GIUsEPrE VENINI, subjects of the Kin g of Italy, and residing at Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cremation-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to an improvement in cremation-furnaces; and the object of this invention is to produce a compact and simple furnace which produces readily, by means of a combustible gas, the high degree of heat necessary for the successful cremation of corpses, and in which the products of the primary combustion of the corpse are repeatedly subjected to further combustion, whereby all the gases emanating from the burning corpse are completely oxidized and rendered inodorous and harmless before they are emitted into the surrounding atmosphere.

Our invention consists, to these ends, of the improvements in the construction of the cremationfurnace, which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is arlongitudinal central section of ourimproved cremation-furnace. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same in line a', Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the carriage upon which the vcorpse is placed. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation in line a: as, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is 'a horizontal section in liney y, Fig. l. Figs. 6 and 7 are crosssections in line a: a: and y y, Fig. 4, respectively. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the secondary gas-burner on an enlarged scale.

Like letters of reference refer to like part-s in the several figures.

A represents the cremation chamber or oven of the furnace, made oblong in form,'and having at its front -end an opening, a, provided with avertical sliding door, a', through which the corpse to be cremated is introduced into the chamber A. The floor or bottom a2 of the latter is provided with rollers ci, for facilitating the movement of the plate or slab upon which the corpse is placed. The combustionchamber and the passages connected therewith are constructed of fire-brick or other refractory material capable of sustaining the high degree of heat which is maintained in the furnace.

B represents the gas burner, arranged at the l opposite or rear end of the furnace, and communicating with the cremation-chamber A by a horizontal passage, b, and openings b. The passage b is provided at both ends with tubes bwhich admit external air to the passage for the purpose of assisting in the combustion of the gas. The gas-burner B consists of a vertical gas-tube, c, and an air-tube or nozzle, c', arranged within the gas-tube and opening near the mouth of the gas-tube, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The gas-burnerreceives the combustible gas from a gas-generator, D, which is arranged in a subterranean vault in rear of the furnace, and which is connected with the gaspipe c by an elbow-pipe, d. The gas-generator D is composed of a gas-generating chamber, e, which is provided with a grate, e', at the bottom and a feed-opening, ci, at the top, having a sliding cover, e3.

E represents a feed hopper or funnel arranged above the feed-opening e,and pivoted to the top of the gas-generator, so as to be laterally movable toward and from the feedopening. The chamber c is filled with short blocks of Wood or other suitable material, which are ignited at the bottom of the chamber, While the Wood in the upper portion of the chamber is distilled by the heat ofthe burning wood below and generates a combustible gas. The admission of air to the gasgenerating chamber is controlled by suitable dampers, e5, in the ash-pit et. The charges of wood are placed in the feeder E,with the wood resting upon the cover e, Upon opening thelatter the Wood drops down into the generatingchamber e, and, this being accomplished, the cover is quickly closed. In this manner fresh wood is fed from time to time into the generating-chamber while the operation of cremation is going on. The gas-generator is preferably elbow-pipe d and air-pipef the generator can place when required to be cleaned or repaired.

F represents an air-heating jacket, which incloses lthe generating-chamber e, and which forms an intervening air-passage, f, to which the external air is admitted at the bottom. The air becomes heated in passing through the jacket F by contact with the generatingchamber c, and is then conducted by the pipe be moved to a more convenient or accessible mounted on wheels, which run on rails, so that upon disconnecting the generator from the IOO f to the air pipe or nozzle c of the gas-burner air to the gas-passage b above the gas-burner B. The flame and hot gases issuing from the burner B pass through the passage b, in which they are supplied with additional air from the pipes If" and g and enter the cremation-chamber A through the openings b. In passing through this chamber the gases are further supplied with additional air for combustion, which air enters through passages g,arranged in the side walls of the cremation-chamber. The openings b' and air-pipes b2 g at the head of the chamber A converge and direct the anie upon the upper portion ot' the corpse, while the air-jets, entering through the side passages, g', direct the flame upon the lower portion of the body.

H represents horizontal return tlues arranged underneath the floor a of the chamber A, and communicating with the latter at their front ends by openings 7L, through which the gases dive into the ues H.

I represents gasburners arranged in the front portions of the lues H, for the purpose of subjecting the gases which enter the tlues to a secondary combustion. Each burner I is provided with a horizontal gas-pipe, t', which lis open at its inner or rear end, and which receives the gas from a vertical pipe, i', to which the gas is supplied by a pipe, i?, from a manifold, i, connected with the elbow-pipe d.

i* is a horizontal air-pipe, which is arranged within the gas-pipe z' and admits external air to the mouth thereof for burning the gas issuing therefrom. An additional air supply enters the upright pipe i through an elbowpipe, i, The gases entering the fines H from the chamber A meet the flames and gases issuing from the burners I, thereby effecting a secondary combustion and consuming any coinbustible matter contained in such gases.

The rear ends of the iiues H turn inwardly and connect with the upper end of a divingflue, J, which is connected by a horizontal flue, K, with -the chimney L.

M represents a gas-burner arranged at or near the junction of the ilue K with the chimney L, and receiving the gasfrom the manifold t by a pipe, m.

n is an air-pipe, which supplies external air to the gas-burner M for effecting the combustion of the gas. By this meansthe gases which escape from the flue K are subjected to a third combustion as they enter the chimney and before they escape into the outer air, thereby still furtherV reducing the possibility of any gases or vapors escaping into the outer air without being completely oxidized and rendered inodorousandharinlcss. Thegassburner M ispreferablyprovided with a conical spreader, m, for distributing the fiame over the mouth of the flue K.

O represents small auxiliary furnaces arranged in the rear part of the cremation-fur nace, on opposite sides of the gas-burner B, and communicating with thegas-passage b by openings o. These furnaces are used for heating the cremation-furnace sufficiently to start the draft, and they may also be used between two cremating operations for preventing the apparatus from getting cold. I? represents the carriage upon which the corpse is placed before introducing the same into the cremation-chamber A. rIhe carriage P is provided with wheels p, which run on rails placed in frontof the cremation-chamber. This carriage is also provided with rollers p', upon which is placed the plate or slab which supports the corpse.

The operation is begun by starting a fire first in one and then in the other auxiliary furnace O and urging these tires until the apparatus is sufficiently heated to light the gas at theburner B. Vhile the fires are burning in the furnaces O gas is generated in the apparatus D, and when the temperature of the crematingfurnace has been suliicicntly raised the gas is ignited atthe burners B, I, and M. The hot air which is supplied to the main burner B materially increases the temperature of the furnace. 1vVhen the gas is burning, the fires in the auxiliary furnaces O can be extinguished. When the temperature in the cremation-chamber has risen to about 800 centigrade, the apparatus is ready to receive the corpse. The slides or valves of the airopenings in the chamber A are now opened, the carriage I? is moved against the front end of the oven, the door a is opened, the corpse resting on the slab or plate is moved into the chamber A, and the door is closed. The progress of the operation can be observed through side openings formed in the chamber A and covered with transparent panes. The intense heat to which the corpse is subjected and the supplyof airto the chamber A effect in part a combustion and in part a distillation of the corpse, and the gases and vapors resulting therefrom are further consumed bythe second combustion effected by the burners I in the return-lines H, which burners also supply additional air to the gaseous mixture in the tlues. rIhe final combustion of any remaining unconsumed combustible matter is effected by the burner M in the chimney. Vhen the operation of cremation is completed, the gas is sluit off, the furnace is permitted to cool, and the plate or slab containing the ashes is removed from the furnace.

If it is desired to conduct several cremations consecutively,the gas is shut off, the ashes are removed, and another corpseisintroduced into the chamber A and the gas turned on again. The gas and air pipes rare provided with suitable dampers or valves for regulating the supply of gas and air.

The gas produces the necessaryintense heat in a comparatively short time, and docs not cause an admixturc of foreign substances with the human ashes.

The gasgenerator herein described can be IOO IIO

advantageously used where a supply of combustible gas is not otherwise obtainable; but 1t 1s obvious that such gas derived from any other source may be used.

We claim as our invention- .1. In a cremation-furnace, the combination, Wlth the oven, of a primaryT gas-burner whereby the oven is heated, a draft-passage through which the products of the primary combustion escape from the oven, and a secondary gasburner arranged Vwithin said draft-passage, whereby the products of the primary combustion escaping from the oven are subjected to a secondary combustion, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cremationfurnace, the combination, with the oven, of a primary burner whereby the oven is heated, a draft-passage through which the products of the primary combustion escape from the oven, a secondary burner arranged near the inlet end of said draft-passage and effecting a secondary combustion, and a tertiary burner arranged in said draft-passage, and whereby the products of the secondary combustion are subjected to a tertiary combustion, substantially as set forth.

3. In a cremation-furnace, the combination, with the oven,ofa primary gas-burner located at one end of the oven and provided with an air-supply conduit, a draft-passage through which the products of the primary combustion escape from the oven, and a secondary gasburner located in said draft-passage and provided with a separate air-supply conduit, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the oven A, of a primary burner composed of an air-supply conduit, c', and a surrounding gas-conduit, e, an exit-due, H, and a secondary burner arranged in said flue, and composed of an airconduit, h, and a surrounding gasconduit, i, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the oven A, of a primary burner composed of an air-supply conduit, c', and a surrounding conduit, c, and anauxiliary air-supply conduit opening into the oven above said tially as set forth.

' (i. The combination, with the oven A, of a primary burner, substau y 7. In a cremationfurnace, the combination,

with the oven, of a heating and gas-generating chamber, a gas-conduit connecting said chamber with the oven, an air-heating passage enveloping the said heating and gas-generating chamber, and an air-conduit conducting the heated air to the gasburner in the oven, substantially as set forth.

8. In a cremation-furnace, the combination, with the oven, of a heating and gas-generating chamber, a gas-conduit connecting said chamber with the oven, an air-heating passage enveloping said heating and gas-generating chamber, and an air-conduit surrounding the gasconduit and opening at the mouth of the gasconduit in the oven,substantially as set forth.

'9. In a cremation-furnace, the combination, with the oven, of a gas-conduit leading to the oven, an air-conduit conducting hot airto the gas-burner, means, substantially as described,

whereby the air isheated, and a secondary air-passage admittingoutside air to the gasburner, substantially as set forth.

10. In a cremation-furnace, the combination, with the oven, of agas-burner communicating with the oven, a descending draft-passage connecting the oven with a chimney, and an auxiliary furnace, 0, communicating with the oven, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 8th day of December, 1885, at Buffalo, New York.

GIUSEPPE GERONIMI.

Vitnesses:

, JNO. J. BoNNn'R,

OsonR SCHAUB. W'itness my hand this 24th day of December, 1885, at Milan, Italy.

GIUSEPPE VENINI. Witnesses: ADoLF RINDERKNEUHT,

HERM. HEIM. 

